A Time To Rise
by FisherofMen
Summary: A rebellion is forming; a rebellion that is fed with the constant doings of the Sheriff. Men are caught, men are imprisoned, men are tortured. Will the gang be able to rescue their captive friend and destroy the rebellion before it destroys the Sheriff? Bad sum, but better on the inside I promise. Has all gang members. AU Allen came forward in Ducking & Diving. Is in S2. T torture.
1. Chapter 1: Suspected

**MUST READ:**

**Rated T for torture in later chapters. No pairings yet, but maybe some later. Probably Robin/Marian later, of course. But, yeah.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the characters you don't recognize. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Suspected**

"I'm startin' to think you've been meeting a _girl_ whenever you disappear," Robin said, his voice holding a teasing and sarcastic tone, bringing the black-haired young man to pause. His hazel eyes met with Robin's grey-green ones briefly before looking back to his hands.

"It's not a girl, if you need to know," Will replied in a monotone. His hands slightly trembled as they continued to whittle the thin plank of wood, but not enough for the others to notice. He hands ached from the previous work they'd done, but his mind needed something to do. He needed to focus on something other than his... work.

"Denial..." Robin muttered and stood from his bed, walking over to Much who mixed the contents of a pot over the fire. "Well?"

Much cast a quick glance to his master before continuing to mix. "Almost ready," he said with a smile before bringing the wood spoon to his lips. He nodded approvingly and set the spoon down. "Dinner's ready."

Will set down the wood and his tools with a sigh and grabbed the bowl of stew that was offered to him. He slid his fingers along the bottom of the container, feeling every crack and crevice on the surface. He remembered when he first made these bowls. That was the second time Robin noticed his wood-working capabilities and accepted them gratefully. The first time was when he made the tags... Will gazed around himself at their little hide-out in satisfaction. Even as an outlaw, he still could do the things he loved. Use his skills for the better.

He looked up to see Allen handing Djaq some soup and John setting his empty dish aside.

"You're already finished?" came Much's voice. John looked up innocently and raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You already finished your soup?" Much asked in disbelief. John nodded as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. "Well, savor it why don't you?"

"Why? It's going to end in my stomach either way," John said, patting his stomach and belching loudly. He looked to Robin who snickered along with Will. Much just shook his head and ate his owl meal quietly.

Will set his unfinished soup on a log and stood up, brushing the dry leaves off his pants. Even during the summer, their camp gathered fallen leaves from the previous autumns regularly. He found himself grabbing his whittling tools and wooden plank again, continuing his work absentmindedly.

"Will?" He looked up to see Robin looking at him intently.

"Yeah?"

Robin stared at him, the curiosity evident in his gaze. Will leaned forward as a reminder that Robin had been the one to start the conversation.

"Never mind."

Will sent a questioning glance to Djaq and Allen who both shrugged. With that, he leaned back and continued his work.

* * *

Will stared blankly forward into the still forest, relishing the chance to feel the cool breeze on his slightly damp face. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and rested his elbow on his knee once again.

Today was boring.

That _constant_ thought ran _constant_ circles in his mind, causing his eyelids to droop. He shook his head and straightened.

A few more hours passed and Will still saw nothing out of the ordinary. He glanced behind him, seeing no signs of human life. He slowly rose to his feet and ran down the hill, across the path and further into the forest. He winced with each step as the underbrush shivered and cracked under his foot-falls. But nobody heard him. Nobody ever heard him.

He ran quickly and quietly to Locksley, jogging up to one of the houses and eyeing the door. He rested his palms on his knees and took a moment to catch his breath. His gaze swept over the neighborhood, watching the people as they worked. Women watched their children whilst hanging their ragged clothes and the men that were home worked on fixing houses, building tools, or just watching the town as it busied itself.

Will looked back up at the door and knocked two times fast and two times slow. The door cracked and two dark brown eyes stared him up and down before it opened to its full width. Two thin, worn hands reached to him and ushered him inside.

"Hurry, hurry," a raspy voice commanded. Will complied and stepped into the darkness of the house. The house was shadowed except a dim light that drained through the window and painted shapes onto the floor. The older man shuffled over to the corner of the room and lifted a hidden panel. He stepped downwards and slowly descended into the secret room. Will hesitantly followed, glancing behind him before climbing quickly down the ladder and closing the entrance above.

"I thought you wouldn't make it today."

"So did I, but I found some spare time," Will replied and lit a lantern that reveled the small workshop they were in. Shelves laden with tools decorated the walls and a few small tables with custom-made weapons lying on top were all the room could hold, aside from a few chests and enough room to walk around. Will paused for a moment and looked around before leaning in. "Peter, did you get the supplies to the others?"

The man, Peter, nodded, sliding his hand over his graying hair. "Yeah. They almost got caught, they did. But the delivery was made. His name was Noah. New fellah wantin' to join the revolt... Said he was so thankful he paid the men who delivered 'em." Will nodded and sat down on a stool.

"And tonight?"

"Two have already agreed to make another delivery. They said-" Peter was interrupted by sudden yells that came from outside. The two men exchanged glances before hurriedly climbing the ladder and onto the first floor. Will raised a finger to his lips and took hesitant steps towards the door. He reached towards the metal handle just as the door swung open and two guards stormed in. Without warning, they grabbed them by the shoulders and shoved them out to join the forming crowd of people.

Will narrowed his eyes when he saw Sir Guy atop his black steed, his gaze sweeping over them one by one. The man waited until all the villagers were gathered before speaking.

"We've received word that one of you delivered 'supplies' to Nottingham last night." Will glanced to Peter as the old man was shoved next to him. "Well?" Gisborne continued after a few moments of silence. "Nobody's going to speak up?"

A man clad in peasant clothes ran up to Guy and whispered something to him. Gisborne nodded and straightened, his eyes icy. "Arrest these two." He pointed to a young man and woman who stood next to each other at the back of the group of people. They exchanged looks before taking off towards the forest. But their escape was short-lived when an arrow flew through the air and hit the man in the back of the thigh. The girl stopped short and rushed to his side before guards picked them up and dragged them to a wagon where their wrists were tied.

Will fought the urge to fight, the only thing keeping him from doing so was the frail hand that rested on his shoulder.

"Sir Guy!" a voice called, bringing Will to attention. He turned toward the voice to see a few guards inside Peter's cabin. He also noticed that several guards were searching through other's homes.

"Get out of my house!" Peter demanded but was stopped by Will's grip on his arm.

"Don't," he whispered.

Gisborne clicked his tongue and lead his horse to the entrance of the wooden building. The soldier motioned for the Master-at-Arms to enter and he did so. Will strained to hear what they were saying, but only muffled voices could be heard from outside. The two soon exited and Guy crossed his arms. He leaned over to mutter something to the armored man.

"Who owns this house?"

"Those two men were inside," the man replied, eyeing Will and Peter. Subconsciously, Will took a step in front of the old man that was his friend. Guy just stood there watching them with his criticizing gaze.

"Arrest them."

With those two words, Will sprang into action, pulling out his large hatchet and jamming the handling into the guard's stomach that stepped towards them. With his other arm, he elbowed another soldier's face. He knew Peter wouldn't be able to run, but he wouldn't let them think they would come along so easily. He took down one by one until a whole group rushed at them.

Will hardened his expression to a glare and dropped his weapon. Guy rolled his eyes and rode over back towards the wagon. Will stared daggers at him, ignoring the rope that was tied around his wrists. He could only watch Gisborne as he and Peter were shoved forward until loaded into the wagon as well.

* * *

**A/N:**

******Bad summary, I know. I will probably change it later on when I have more to work with. Please leave a review, cause I need to know whatcha think. **


	2. Chapter 2: Found Out

**Chapter 2**

**Found Out**

"I'm not being funny, but Will's been gone a while. He missed 'is lunch," Alan said between mouth-fulls of Much's 'chicken'.

"I'll go get him," Djaq grabbed her weapon and walked up to Robin.

He stood, tossing his dish to the side and walking to the entrance of their camp. "No, _I'll_ go look for him," he replied and walked down the hill.

"Okay..."

The blazing sun promised another humid night in Sherwood Forest, the light drifting through the leaves and branches and onto Robin's face. The wind twirled and picked up a few stray leaves in a spiral that twisted past him.

"Will. Food's ready," he called as he approached Will's post. His shoulders sagged when he found the forest empty. "Well, well... Disappeared again, have we?" He knelt close to the ground and examined the footprints. Old. He crouched low and gazed as the prints lead further into the forest. After checking behind him to see if there were any followers, he quickly went after the tracks.

* * *

"My name is Tilda Rowland and this is my brother Rolfe," the young woman said as she tilted her head forward, her ash-blond locks falling over her shoulders. She looked in her late teens, but it was hard to tell passed the dirt that covered her face. "Your names?"

"My name is Peter Bradley," said the old man as he shook Tilda's hand with a smile. Silence followed and she glanced to Will.

"And you?" she questioned. After no response, Peter nudged him with his elbow.

"This is Will Scarlett," he muttered and gestured to his young friend.

"Well, it is very nice to meet you," she said stiffly and turned to her brother. Peter crawled forward to examine the wound. "Thank you," she whispered as Peter worked at bandaging it with a strip of his shirt he'd ripped off.

"My pleasure, miss. Let's see..." He leaned forward. "Looks mostly like a flesh wound. I'll have to clean it if we find water."

Will just stared long and hard at the scenery as it passed by. The forest so close yet so far. He just wanted to jump out and run. But he couldn't escape, for the soldiers had stripped him of all his weapons and tools. He knew if the villagers and the Sheriff's men didn't pick up his hatchet, it was only a matter of time before Robin would guess what happened. But he also knew he didn't have much time. Would the Sheriff hang him? Imprison him? Make him a servant? Or worse... do one of those things to Peter. Leave the man to rot in a cell? He glanced to the old man, his eyebrows drifting slightly downward.

"Open the gates!" a voice broke through the silence. Will finally shifted so he would be facing the bars that had been behind him. His bound hands clutched the metal as he tried to see the road ahead. Gisborne was for sure at the head of the trail of wagons and riders. The loud creaking of the gates opening broke through his thoughts and he pressed his forehead against the cold surface of the bars once again.

The people of Nottingham watched the wagon as it slowly passed down the road, their eyes full of pity and some of concern when they'd notice the blood stains on the wooden floor of their transportation.

He found himself suddenly being led out of the wagon and into the court-yard of the castle. They were led to a tree and chained to it with shackles. Will knew this place. He'd been chained to this tree before when the dungeon was too full. Rolfe inhaled sharply and clutched his wounded leg.

"Will... that man who had spoken to Sir Guy before he arrested Tilda and Rolfe... that was Noah. The new one that joined the revolt," Peter managed to whisper. Figures... Must've been a spy. But how did they even find out about the forming rebellion in the first place?

"This man needs a physician!" Peter yelled at a passing guard, pulling against the metal ropes.

"Shutup!" a soldier yelled and backhanded Peter in one swift motion. Will suddenly lurched forward and struck his foot out, smiling as it connected with the guard's stomach. The man doubled over with a groan and Will kicked again, sending the man sprawled out on the ground.

"Why you little-" The man jumped up jammed his knee into the raven-haired boy's stomach and sent a punch to his face. Will stumbled back against the tree and rubbed his eye-ridge. The guard straightened his chain-mail and walked off. He felt a small cut plaguing his skin along his eyebrow and he glared forward as his fingers lightly touched it. A sigh seethed through his gritted teeth and rested his arms on his knees.

"Excuse me?" Tilda stood and pardoned a guard.

"What are ya doin'?" Rolfe grunted only to be silenced by his sister's raise of a hand.

"Why are we out here instead of in the dungeon?" she asked innocently.

"Dungeon's full," the man muttered and continued with his work.

Tilda shook her head with a frown and slid back to the ground. "What was that?" her brother scoffed.

"I was asking an innocent question. Is there something wrong with that?" Rolfe just shook his head.

"Oi!" The prisoners looked up to see another soldier motioning for them to come. "Sheriff wants to see those two." Their current guards unlocked Peter and Will and ushered them into the Sheriff's 'office'.

The Sheriff Vaisey's bored face rested lazily on his palm as a servant knelt down next to him. The boy's hands rubbed the dirty souls of the man's feet. Will stared stonily ahead as they were shoved forward and forced to their knees.

"So!" he shouted, clapping his hands together as he stood suddenly. The sound echoed through the room and bounced off the walls, causing Peter to flinch slightly. "Gisborne here tells me that you two were making weapons without consulting me? Also, word of a... rebellion forming. Didn't think I'd notice, hm? A clue..." He shook his head. Gisborne just stood there with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. "Check them."

Sir Guy paused before nodding to the guards. They stepped forward and, again, checked them for any weapons.

"Nothing, milord," one of them said and walked up to the Sheriff, holding their hand out. "Except for this on the younger one." The Sheriff snatched whatever it was away from the guard and examined it. Will froze as his breath caught in his throat.

"Oh! Looks like we've caught one of Robin Hood's _merry men_. I'm guessing Robin is the one who started this whole 'rebellion' thing, eh?" Will ignored the man's question and glared at the wall opposite of him. The stones were so much more welcoming to stare at...

The Sheriff approached the two prisoners with a barely noticeable skip in his step and stopped in front of Will, turning on his heels and clasping his hands behind his back. After no response came, he stuck out his lower lip in mock sadness and sighed. "Not going to talk, hm?"

Will raised his eyebrow slightly and finally met Vaisey's gaze. For moments, he only watched his authority with a analyzing stare, inwardly smiling to himself. "Has anyone told you you're short?" he asked flatly.

The Sheriff's eyes seemed to bulge and he obviously stopped himself from screaming at the outlaw. He looked as if he were fumbling for the right words to say and after a moment, he finally grasped some. "Well then... Throw them in the dungeon." he huffed and broke the silence.

"B-but, milord, the dungeon is full. There is no room for-" a guard protested, taking a timid step back.

"Then make room! I need them down there for further questioning when this _boy_ is more willing to answer!" The Sheriff stomped his foot in annoyance and stared at the said guard before striding quickly back to his chair. Gisborne nodded again, motioning for the two to be taken to the 'lower level' of the castle.

* * *

"Where is he?" Much crossed his arms for the fiftieth time and tapped his foot impatiently. "He said he went to look for Will, not feed all of Nottingham." He plopped down onto his stool and shook his head, pursing his lips and glancing at the others one by one. He shook his head again and stood up. "I can't sit. I need to... to do something!" he growled and aimed a kick at a stick on the ground only to miss pitifully. He bit his lip angrily and started pacing back and forth next to the fire.

"He'll be back... We just need to wait a little longer. He's always back," he muttered and rubbed his hands together. Alan quietly scoffed while John gave a heartfelt grunt. "Well, I'm glad to know you two care so much. He's been gone for hours. It shouldn't take him that long to look for Will unless he's searching the entire forest!"

"Much!" Djaq jerked her hands in the air for emphasis. "Shutup!" She sighed and leaned against the wall, her hands crossing over her chest. Much's shoulders slumped, but he nodded.

"Fine. I'll shutup. If you want me to shutup, why don't you just ask nicely? It wouldn't hurt to have some _respect_ every now and then."

Alan rolled his eyes and leaned forward to rub his temples. His head lifted when the sound of rustling leaves could be heard far off. "What's that?"

"Sh..." Djaq stood to her feet as John followed the action. "Robin," she sighed in relief when their leader and friend can jogging through the trees towards the gang.

Alan frowned as he stood up and looked behind Robin. "Where's Will?"

Robin shook his head as he approached, stopping next to the fire and resting his hands on his knees.

"Well, what took you so long?" Much raised his hands, the worry etching at his voice before his arms fell back to his sides.

"I had to make sure."

"Make sure of what?" Much smiled nervously. The others exchanged glances before looking to Robin for an explanation.

"The Sheriff's got Will."

* * *

**A/N: **

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review and tell me whatcha think. :)**

**I had so much fun writing Much. One of my favorites. :)**


	3. Chapter 3: Continued

**Chapter 3**

**Continued**

"Hide!" Robin hissed and slid behind a tree. The four others nodded and swiftly found other quick but useful hiding spots. A figure walked down the path, face concealed by the shadow under the dark, forest-green hood. The dry path crackled under his footfalls and dust rose around with each step. Golden rays slithered through the leaves above and played with shadows across his cloaked back.

Robin's gaze fell over each of his gang members as they waited. And he found each of them poised and ready for his signal. He held his breath as the person walked passed them until his back was to them. Robin looked to Djaq and gave a slight nod.

The small woman cautiously stepped onto the path and crept behind the man like a cougar stalking its prey. She raised her sword to halt the man while Much and Alan silently started making their way towards the two.

With such swiftness it made them all jump, the man turned around and knocked the blade from Djaq's hand and swung at her neck with a dagger of his own. Startled, her eyes grew wide but she recovered quickly and ducked below his attack. She reached for her knife but a quick and firm shove landed her on her back. The air seethed out of her lungs and she breathed heavily when the man raised his blade above her chest.

Just as he brought it down, she rolled out from under the silver weapon and watched as Much and Alan were suddenly part of the brawl. Alan swung his sword at the man's worn leggings but he jumped above it while dodging one of Much's dagger blows.

"John!" she heard Robin's voice. A growl echoed off the dull tree-trunks and John ran like a bull towards the mysterious opponent. But the man used his sword to block the staff from hitting his chest.

All at once, everyone seemed to be throwing attack after attack at the stranger but each one failed to hit its mark. Only when Much started sweating did he notice that Robin still hadn't engaged in the fight. He snuck a glance to his right to see Robin readying his bow.

"Make another move and you'll be like a hog roasting on a spit!" he yelled, eyes staring intensely at his target.

The man froze and his hand slightly lowered. The gang sighed in unison and their weary shoulders relaxed a bit. But their moment of rest was short-lived when Alan was suddenly jerked into the mans arms with a blade shoved against his throat.

"_You_ make another move and your friend won't live to see the shot." The voice was surprisingly young, but determined still. All of them gazed at Robin, waiting for the next move.

Robin's jaw tightened, but his weapon was slowly lowered until at his side. "Now... let him go."

"Call your men off and I'll consider."

" 'Consider'? I don't think so." Robin glared at the man before stealing glances to his friends.

"Very well... Say goodbye." Alan gasped as the sharpened blade pressed a little harder into his throat and small drops of sticky liquid dripped down his neck.

"Wait!" Robin shouted, taking a step forward. His body seemed to shrink as a defeated sigh seethed through his gritted teeth. "Fine." He looked to his gang and nodded. They all took hesitant steps away but still stayed alert.

"Now. Put down your weapons," the man said, his voice somewhat amused. Robin gave another nod and the sound of blades and wood hitting the ground rang through the stifling silence of the forest. "Now step away from them..." They all did so.

The man reached down and removed Alan of his tools before shoving their friend to the side and standing over all their weapons. He sighed appreciatively, but any other signs of expression were still concealed under the shadow of his hood.

"I think I'll take these. Make a good profit off of them at the market."

Robin felt his anger rising and suddenly leapt onto the ground, snatching up his bow and swiftly locking an arrow into place. The creaking of the strained bow-string caught all of their attention.

"Step... away." The words came out slowly and venomously. The man tilted his head to the side and finally took a step back. "Much." His past-servant nodded and picked his his weapon and aimed it at the stranger's chest. "Tie him up, John. Djaq-" Her hands were working on Alan's cut before he could finish.

"Now, my friend, we are on a tight schedule. I would try and fit you in, but to be honest, I don't think you're worth the trouble." Robin stalked down the hill and away from the trees towards their prisoner. "But before we go..." He reached up and tugged the hood off his head with a firm jerk. The man's head was tilted down and his stance held one of defeat. Robin smirked curiously and crossed his arms, looking him over. Short, dark, almost black hair. Dark green eyes. Dull colored clothes, most likely used to blend with the forest. Thin build, clean shaven... young. Maybe a few years younger than Will, even. Silence passed over the group as only the sound of active birds could be heard aside from the rustling leaves.

"Tie him to a tree."

John instantly obeyed and rapped the rope around the man and the tree, tying a large knot at the back of the trunk.

"We will be back," Robin warned, but stepped away. As he passed Alan, he eyed the wound himself. "You alright?" The younger man nodded, eyes closing briefly. "Good. Let's get going."

* * *

Will tried to keep track of their twists and turns as they were herded towards the dungeon, but it is hard to do so when blind-folded. It did make an uneasy feeling rise in his chest because he never remembered being blind-folded when led to the dungeons before. The only thing keeping his thoughts at bay were the constant, ragged breaths coming from Peter who walked beside him. The older man's footsteps sounded uneven and weary, echoing down the seemingly endless passage.

He vaguely remembered the sound of sliding stone, but he couldn't be sure. His thoughts were jumbled, stumbling over each other and running a goose chase. No matter what thoughts came to mind, one always returned. What would happen now that they knew he was one of Robin's men? And that just brought more unsure ideas to mind.

He heard a metallic clinking and became alert. Then a loud creaking caused him to grimace as the sound rang in his ears. He listened hard, but couldn't make out any other noise besides the feet shuffling over a stone floor then the clanging of a, what he guessed, cell door closing. He took a few hesitant steps forward, and soon many until the guards halted him again.

Panicked pierced his temples in a headache when the blindfold was yanked from his eyes and he tumbled forward into his own cell. He turned to catch Peter but only saw four guards, one of them being Gisborne.

Will sucked in a sharp breath, refraining himself from asking questions. Instead, he kept his stony expressions trained on Gisborne as he and the other guards walked away.

* * *

A few hours of silence- except for the constant sound of water dripping from the ceiling and landing into the forming puddle in the corner- passed. Will wondered what time it was. He strained to see any light save the orange flickering ones that came from the torches along the wall, but none could be seen... at least from his vantage point. Either night had finally come, or their were no windows.

He leaned against the stone wall, savoring the cold surface, for the humid air had been constant throughout the hours. He let his burning eyes slowly flutter closed just as the banging sound of the jail-door echoed through the dungeon. A jolt racked his body and he silently stood to his feet.

"Where is my sister?" Will instantly recognized this voice as Rolfe's. The sound of feet scuffling against the floor grated at Will's ears. He'd already gotten too used to the silence of the jail. He watched as Rolfe was shoved into the cell next to him with only bars separating them.

Almost as soon as he landed, Rolfe darted back to his feet and rushed to the bars, clutching them and yelling things to the retreating guards. The chain-clad men only laughed to themselves as they returned to their posts.

"They're not going to listen," Will mumbled in hopes of returning to the silence of his dark room.

"They found out we were part of the rebellion... And I can't even watch over my sister!" Rolfe turned and pounded his fists against the stone, his back still turned to Will. "They could torture her and I wouldn't even know!" Then with a loud grunt, he kicked the wall. Will couldn't help but smirk a little as a frustrated cry echoed down the hall.

"Doesn't do much good, does it?"

"Eh, enough with your jokes. I heard about the one you pulled with the Sheriff..." Will heard a small chuckle. "Clever, but stupid. You'll probably to regret it later. The Sheriff isn't a forgiving man, even with small, petty jokes."

"Well, small, petty jokes keeps the air a little less stiff," Will replied and leaned against the wall, still standing.

"I guess."

After a few moments of silence, save the constant and irritating noise coming from the cell next to him, Will crawled closer to the edge of his cell to get a better look a Rolfe.

"What are you doing?"

"Bandaging my wound... with cloth scraps," Rolfe replied. Will could barely make out his form in the dark corner next to the bed. He tilted his head and grabbed the bars.

"Why didn't you patch it up on the ride over here? Or in the courtyard?"

"First off, the courtyard has the Sheriff's men crawling all over. Second, my sister was there..." The last part came as more of a grumble. "Didn't want her to see the damage, no matter how small it may be." He shook his head and Will nodded. He then crawled back to the wall and leaned against it, sighing and closing his eyes.

The sound of approaching footsteps brought them both to attention. Rolfe tossed his bandages to the side and Will stood up.

"Nice to see you again," Vaisey announced as he cheerfully stepped up to Will's cell.

"Wish I could say the same about you..." he added barely above a whisper.

"Yes, yes. La-de-da-de-_dah_, on with it. Gisborne," he nodded to his Master-at-Arms. The man dressed in black leather obeyed his authority almost immediately. He grabbed the keys from the jail-keeper and got a few guards to help with the job.

Will looked from the Sheriff to the guards in confusion as they grabbed him by the shoulders and led him out of the barred room.

"Let's continue our conversation, shall we?"


End file.
